Cellar Craft Orange Muscat Dessert Wine

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jnmar

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Started my first batch of CC Orange Muscat this afternoon. Followed CC directions to the letter. OG 1.160, wow that kinda surprised me, it was almost as thick as syrup. Temp 72. Two packets of Lalvin EC-1118 re-hydrated and pitched according to directions. Yeast was actively foaming after 20 in 50-50 juice and H2O. Everything looks good tonight, pictures will follow when there's something to show.

The instructions say this wine will finish with the SG around 1.040 - 1.020...later it says, "Again, read the SG carefully - it is finished as high as some wines start". Interesting, I had no idea anyone starts wines out at that low of a SG range.

I want to follow the directions but I do have a question. There was no yeast nutrient packet included in this kit as they were in the two MM kits I've got going. If the fermentation does go as low as 1.040 or lower, it will have an ABV in the 17%-18% range. Is that possible/likely without yeast nutrient added at some point? That's sure a lot of sugar to convert. I've read on Lalvin's site that they recommend using Fermaid K. I wanted to pick some up yesterday when I was at George's but they don't have it or don't stock it. Any first hand recommendations regarding the need/use of it or not?
 
remember that grapes are the only fruit out there that are the perfect fermenting fruit and typically have all the nutrients in there already. That being said we typically use nutrients when making wine from grapes. I do believe though that some kit manufacturers add nutrients to their concentrates. A little more probably wouldnt hurt but if you are going to add nutrient, the beginning is when to add it. If you are later into fermentation the energizer is the way to go.
 
Thanks Wade, although I have only used what was supplied in the kits, I knew there was a difference between the nutrient and energizer and that one goes in at the beginning and the other during fermentation. I was just a little lackadaisical in my selection of terms to call the energizer.

Lalvin makes a pretty strong case to use both but they're mostly dealing with grape fermentation as opposed to kit juice, I suppose. But the question really came from having used the supplied "energizer" midway through fermentation with the two MM kits to help prevent stuck fermentation and insure complete fermentation to dry. With this one starting out so much higher SG and I assume CC is intending it to ferment until the alcohol gets too toxic for the yeast to survive.

Another question: Would the stuff in the nutrient and/or energizer if unneeded or unused by the yeast, ie. any residual left in the wine, noticeably affect or change the wine in the long run...in other words cause off-flavors, etc?
 
jnmar said:
Another question: Would the stuff in the nutrient and/or energizer if unneeded or unused by the yeast, ie. any residual left in the wine, noticeably affect or change the wine in the long run...in other words cause off-flavors, etc?

Yes some folks have noticed an off taste. Before adding anything extra to the must I would contact CC. Most kit makers have already added everything you need to the juice to get and keep it going. I think Mosti adds the extra because they want you to rack the wine so early and in doing so the yeast will sometimes stop fermenting. The nutrient will help prevent that from happening.
 
When making non kits I always add both. When making kits I never add any and I would never follow those instructions for racking early with a kit.
 
This wine seems to be coming along very nicely. Yesterday morning, after starting at a SG of 1.160 it had dropped to 1.144. This morning at 1.119. Last night the temp had risen to 78 so I cooled it off a bit down to 73 with a small bottle of frozen water I keep in the freezer. This morning it was still at 73.

As others have mentioned about different kits in other threads, there has been no foaming whatsoever, but a very active boiling of the juice with billions of tiny micro-bubbles. Aroma is very nice.

CC says it should finish at SG of 1.040 to 1.020...I think my wife is gonna love it.
 
I would NOT try to slow it down by cooling it off. That is an extremely high starting SG and you don't want to interfere with a vigorous fermentation- otherwise you chance a stuck fermentation and problems fermenting down to the desired range. I would give it a good stir and let er rip!
 
Okie dokie, I'll sure take your advice. I was just trying to keep it within the stated CC instructions or 70-75 degrees, but you're right that's a lot of sugar for the yeasts to have to eat. I hope they stay healthy. I just checked it again and the temp is back up to 77. And I have been giving it a good stirring twice a day.
 
Yep, that temp is quite fine, if it were approaching 90* then I would start using the bottle bomb method or some other method.
 
Another daily report: SG keeps dropping steadily, down to 1.092 this am. Temp = 77 degrees. Fermentation activity appears to continue without change. Nice Muscat aroma, wonderfully fresh and sweet. Glad to see the EC 1118 doesn't appear to be letting up on their work.

I know the instruction time line is just a general approximation of what to expect, etc. but according to CC the at or below 1.090 part isn't usually until day 10-14...by that, we're way ahead of schedule which I suppose is a good thing.

I have it in a 6.9 primary with lid loose on top without airlock. CC says to do a clean rack to secondary at 1.090, I'm not intending to rack until it's almost done fermenting. I will snap down lid and insert an airlock but I want to continue to stir daily to encourage as complete fermentation as possible...any downside in doing that?
 
Since there is nothing to punch down you could snap the lid down soon and just rock the bucket back and forth some to get it all stirred up, thats what I do as I ferment to dry all my wines in primary.
 
Day 13 on the Orange Muscat. It has stopped bubbling and SG is stable at 1.034 which is within the CC target range, taste is very nice. I can certainly notice the alcohol which calculates by the SG method to be 17.2% ABV. It's about time to de-gas rack to carboy, add K-Meta, Sorbate, and orange Fpac. So far I'm very pleased with progress.
 
If it tastes near the RJS Orange Muscat your surely in for a treat. Another thing to add is the RJS Orange Muscat dropped a decent amount of wine diamonds in the bottles so if that turns you off you will probably want to cold stabilize this batch before bottling.
 
Thanks Wade, the wine diamonds don't bother me at all. As a matter of fact I like a little crunchy with my wine. But since we'll be sharing this with family and friends I had already planned to cold stabilize. Does it need to be below freezing to cold stabilize or will 35 degrees work. Otherwise I'll have to put it in a large freezer where I work and try turning it up in the low 20's. What's the recommendation for temp and duration? I was planning of letting it bulk age until June or so, do you think that's enough time?
 
I agree with Wade. 35* for 2-3 weeks should be fine. I tried some orange Muscat for the first time about 5 weeks ago at a winery right from the tank. It was pretty awesome. Last week I was back down there and they had it bottled so I picked up a few and I swear it didn't have the same taste. Still good just not as much of the orange taste.
 
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